Terming the negative impact of environment pollution as a challenge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said there is a need to harness solar energy.

“Discussions of environment have been taking for long, but for the last few years, its negative impact has been felt on normal human lives. There is a challenge before the mankind to find a solution to this problem,” Mr. Modi said.

He was speaking after flagging off an electric bus, gifted by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, to ferry MPs at Parliament.

Referring to the recent CoP21 summit in Paris, Mr. Modi highlighted two significant initiatives — Mission Innovation launched jointly by the U.S., France and India, with the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, on development of green technologies and the creation of the International Solar Alliance of countries with abundant sunlight.

The headquarters of this alliance will be in Delhi, he said.

“There are 122 nations, which get the benefit of sunrays for more than 300 days in a year. With India’s initiative, an organisation of such nations has been formed,” Mr. Modi said.

Congratulating Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on his contribution to environment and technology leading to the refurbished bus with no pollution, the Prime Minister suggested that the technology can be used in public transport as well.